Machine for rebending crown caps or seals for bottles.



N0. 63|,785. Y Patenied Aug. 29, |899.

' W. GEBH-AHDT.

MACHINE FOB REBENDING CROWN CAPSOR SEALS FOR BOTTLES.

v (Appication med Dec. 2o, 189s.)

UNITED STATES e PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GEBIIARDT, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

MACHINE FOR REBENDING CROWN CAPS OR SEALS FOR BOTTLES.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,785, dated August29, 1899.

Application tiled December Z0, 1898. Serial No. 699,825. (No model.) i

To @ZZ whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GEBHARDT, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Machine for Rebending Crown Caps or Seals forBottles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in machines for rebending crowncaps or sealsl bending or flaring to be quickly effected without bendingthe center of the cap inward and without loosening the cork.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and automaticdevice for freeing the cap or seal from the female die after lit hasbeen operated on.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter vfully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure lis an elevation of a rebending-machineconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig.4 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the dies in engagementwith a'seal or cap. Fig. 5 isan elevation of a seal or cap, showing thesame after use.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding'parts in all theiigures'of the drawings.

l designates a frame provided at its lower end with a base 2 and havinga tubular portion 3 at its upper'end to form a guide for avertically-reciprocating plunger 1:,whichcar-v ries an upper male die 5.The base is designed to be mounted upon a suitable bench or support, andit is provided with perforations for the reception of fastening devicesAfor securing the frame in position.

vouter end of the gear.

The vertically-reciprocatin g plunger is pro-4 vided at. its inner sidewith teeth 6, which mesh with a gear 7, j ournaled in suitable bearingsof the upper portion of the frame, such bearings S being horizontal andintersecting the tubular portion 3 at a point'between the ends thereof.The gear 7 has one end, 9, ex-

',tended beyond the bearing and perforated Yforrthe recept-ion of Aahandle or lever 10, 4which is secured in place by a set-screw ll,

mounted in ay threaded perforation of the The other end, 12, of the gearis slightly reduced, and the adjacent bearing forms a partial cap forthe same.

The frame is provided at the front end of the base with a tubular seator socket 13, in which is arranged a removable'female die 14, whichcooperates with the upper male die 5, and the latter has a threaded steml5, which fits in a corresponding socket of the plunger. The diesareremovable, in order'that different sizes may be employed. 'The' upperdie is provided with a rounded lower end 16, and the central portionthereof is adapted to engage the cork of ,a crown-sealV before thecrimped edge thereof is operated on, whereby the central portion of theseal is prevented from being bent inward and loosening the cork. videdwith an exterior shoulder 17 to engage a shoulder of the socket or seat13, and within .the lower or female die is arranged avertifcally-movable core 18, forming a bottom for the die and normallyprojecting upward, so as to receive the crown-seal before the sameengages the body portion of the lower die,

and this movable inner core, which is yield- .ingly mounted, is 'adaptedto compensate for crown-seals of different thicknesses, and its upperend, which forms a bottom for the vfemale die, is slightly concaved ordished to The lower die, which is tubular, is pro- IOO the frame, isprovided at its lower end with a return bend.22,its lower terminal beingthreaded and engaging the socket of the core, and

the nut 23 is disposed on the threaded lower end of the rod to support adisk or washer 24 and to serve as a jam-nutto lock ythe core againstrotation. The disk or washer forms a seat for a spiral spring 25, whichis coiled around the stem of the core and interposed between the lowerdisk or washer 24 and an upper ring or washer 26.

y The upper end 27 of ythe rod is vcurved to form a partial hook, whichengages a cam 28 of the gear 7. The cam is formed by annularly groovingthe gear at a point between the 'ends of the teeth, the groove varyingin depth to form an eccentric or cam, as clearly illustrated ,in Fig. 2of the accompanying drawings. When the plunger moves upward, the camlifts the rod and the core, and thereby releases the cap or seal andprevents the latter from remaining in the femaledie. As the plungermoves downward the spring causes a positive downward movement of therod, and the latter has sufficient resiliency at the bend to allow forany variation in the thickness Vof a seal or cap. y

By arranging the upper-curved end of the rod in the groove voi the gearthe latter is detachably retained in its bearings, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.A c

By making the Ycentral portion of the male die Yof greater length, thedevice will be adapted for operating on the crown seals or caps afterthe cork-disks have been removed, the central portion when extended inthis maf-nner being adapted to engage and prevent the latter and preventit from sticking therethe central portion of 'the 'cap from bendinginward.

` y The invention has the followin g advantages:

The machine, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive inconstruction, is adapted for rebending or flaring crown seals or capsafter they have been used and are "of the lshape illustrated in Fig. 5of the accompanying drawings, and it iscapable of engaging the 4centralportion of lthe cap or seal before .operatingy on thecrimpededge, sothat there is no liability of bending the said `central portion inwardand loosening the cork. The flaring action 'of the lmachine does notinjure the crimped edge of a seal'or 'cap,`and it will enable the sameto be reused a rconsiderable number of times. The vertically-movablecore which forms the bottom of the vfemale die engages `the Ycap or sealbefore the edges thereof strike the body portion Vof the lower die, andit is also adapted to lift the cap from The dies are removable, so thatdifferent sizes may be employed to adapt the machine for operating oncaps or seals of various sizes.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

'What is claimed is- 1. A machine of the class described comprising aframe, a female die having a tubular body portion, a vertically-movablecore forming the bottom of said bottom portion, a spring -for forcingthe core downward, a reciprocating plunger carrying a male die, anddirect mechanical connections between the plunger and the core, wherebythe latter will be operated as the plungeris reciprocated, substantially'as described. c

2. A machine of the class described comprising a frame, a ifemale diehaving a movable core and mounted -on the frame, a reciprocating plungercarrying a male die and provided with teeth, agear meshing with theteeth-of the plunger, and connections between the gear and the core,whereby vthe latter will be automatically operated as 'theplunger isreciprocated, substantially as described.

3. A machine "ofthe class described comprising a frame, a female diearranged at the base of the frame, a vertically-movable plunger'carrying a male die, vgearing for raising and loweringthe plunger, saidgearingbeing provided with a cam -or eccentric, a vertically-movablecore forming the bottom of the female die, andkconnec'tions between the`cam or eccentric and the core, whereby the vlatter will beautomatically operated as the plunger is reciprocated, substantially asdescribed.

4. A machine of the classdescribed comprising a frame, a female diemounted'on the base of the frame, a vertically-movable plunger carryinga male die, a vertically-'movable'core forming the bottom of the femaledie, gearing for reciprocating the plunger, said` gearing being provided'with Va cam, a rod'eonnected at its lowerend with the core and havingits upper end arranged to be engaged bfy the cam, whereby the 'core willbe moved upward,

and a spring for moving the core downward, Substantially as described. 4

5. A machine of the clas'sdescribed comprising 'a frame, provided at itsbase with a socket, a tubular die removably fitted in the socket andprovided with inner and Aouter shoulders, the outer shoulder engaging'the frame, a core forming the bottom of the female die and having areduced portion erstem forming 'a shoulder for engaging the innershoulder yof 'the die,' a k'spring disposed `on the lower portion of thecore to 'force the latter downward, a rod extending vertically throughthe frame and having its lower'end connected with the core, a'reciprocating plunger having 'a male die,and gearingfor operating theplunger and the rod, substantially as described.

6. A machine of the class described com- IOO IIO

prising a frame, a female die having a movable core and mounted on theframe, a reciprocating plunger carrying a male die and provided Withteeth, a gear meshing with the teeth of the plunger and provided with anannular groove varying in depth and forming a cam, and a rod engagingthe cam and connected with the core, substantially as described.

7. A machine of the class described comprising a frame provided with aVertical opening and having a horizontal bearing, avertically-reciprocating plunger mounted on the frame and having teeth,a gear arranged in the bearing and meshing with the plunger, said gearhaving a groove forming a cam, a rod passing through the opening of theframe, engaging the groove of the gear to retain the latter in itsbearing and adapted to be operated by the cam, and a female die having a2o core connected with and operated by the rod, substantially asdescribed.

8. A machine of the class described comprising a frame provided with asocket, a tubular guide removably fitted in the socket, a core formingthe bottom of the tubular guide, a spring connected with the core andadapted to force the same downward, a rod connected with the core, areciprocating plunger having a male die,- and gearing for operating theplunger and the rod, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM GE BHARDT.

Witnesses:

C. G. CARTTAR, ALBERT KRANKOSKY.

